I had a strange heart problem with no apparent cause.

I woke up early with a pounding headache and my watch saying in bold red letters that I was experiencing atrial fibrillation with rapid heartrate. In this case, my heart was going over 120 bpm.

I have bradycardia., My resting heart rate should be blow 60, and it's typically in the high forties when I wake up, so over 120 is particularly worrisome. Off to the ER I went. Of course, by the time I got there it was over. Luckily, I took an ECG from my watch (got to love the Samsung watch 8) and I could show the ER Doctor that I was not being a hypochondriac.

The only thing left over was a high heart rate (for me) of 80 bpm. This gradually slowed down to my regular bradycardia over the next week. Currently, everything is normal, but I'm more than a little concerned.

One of the things atrial fibrillations can do is cause blood clots. I have a history of serious blood clots (pulmonary embolism involving both sides of the lung). This one can cause blood clots that lead to strokes, kidney damage, gut damage, and/or limb (opposite to deep vein thrombosis).

So, I haven't had another, I wear the watch and check it like a religion. and so far, so good.

Oh, in case you're wondering, the bradycardia is from my athletic mid-life (I took up cycling and martial arts instead of a sports car), so the cardiologist isn't worried about it. My BP is also usually around 120/80 so no cause for alarm there. I'm amazingly healthy.

Except, apparently, I'm not.